Such conveying apparatuses and methods are used in order e.g. with small size paper cross-cutters, in which juxtaposed sheet stacks are formed from a wide paper web in the form of numerous blanks, e.g. stacks of copy, writing or typing paper, which convey from the processing means sheet stacks accumulated in non-uniform intervals and compensate the latter up to a further processing of the sheet stacks, e.g. packing thereof.
As the further processing of the sheet stacks normally makes it necessary for them to arrive continuously and with a substantially constant spacing, between the cross conveyor and the further processing is provided an accumulation section, whereof the individual sheet layer groups run up onto one another in such a way as to temporarily form an uninterrupted row, after which they are drawn apart to the constant spacing on a separating conveyor, which can link with the accumulation section.
In order to connect with one another the initially differently spaced sheet stacks, various arrangements of connecting and accumulating conveyors are known. It has e.g. been proposed to place upstream of a continuously running belt conveyor a belt section overlapping the same with upper and lower belts in the manner of belt grippers. Sheet stacks to be connected are held between the upper and lower belts and moved at an increased speed, so that the sheet stack is uninterruptedly connected to the last sheet stack of the preceding group.
DE-36 12 021 discloses an accumulating conveyor system, in which the connecting conveyor overlaps the accumulating conveyor and the individual accumulating belts are subdivided into several sections, which can be individually raised as a function of the moving past of the sheet layers, so that they raise the sheet layers from the discontinuously running connecting conveyor and decelerate same to the lower accumulation speed. However, this requires a multiple subdivision and a complicated control, as well as a corresponding lifting mechanism for the accumulating belts.